Endless Summer Nights
by scarlett2112
Summary: Separated by a long ago tragedy, Elena unexpectedly stumbles onto Damon.
1. Chapter 1

April 2011

It's early spring and the Colorado Rockies are one of the finest sights on earth: the lush greenery of the valleys gives rise to cliffs of sheer rock and towering peaks crowned by snow. Elena's wearing her headset as she flies the chopper. It soars to circle the tallest mountain, The Tower. It rises thousands of feet from the ground below, so high that its summit is bathed in clouds.

"Do you see them yet?" Damon asks her through his headset.

"Patience my love."

"That is a virtue isn't it?" Damon laughs, continuing his climb.

"Wait, I think I have them sighted. What's the word Elijah?"

Spotter Elijah Mikaelson scans the mountain wall while Elena expertly pilots the helicopter. Both are wearing jackets identifying themselves as members of the Rocky Mountain Park rescue team.

"Yep, we got 'em over there," Elijah confirms. Ric and Jenna are on a ledge that's part of a lower but equally formidable peak separated from The Tower by a chasm two hundred feet wide. Ric's a veteran climber, part of their team while Jenna's worried look confirms she's a novice. Ric's waving a slow burning flare in one hand.

"Damon? Damon where are you?" Elena asks.

"Just hanging out," his voice comes through her ear piece.

Elena drops the chopper lower and then she sees him, literally clinging against the underside of a fifty foot rock ledge. It's a death-defying maneuver that goes completely against the laws of gravity.

"Oh my God! I can't see your face but the butt looks vaguely familiar," she whistles.

"Don't say that, you'll embarrass Elijah," Damon laughs, continuing his descent towards Ric and Jenna.

"It'll take a heap more than that rock jock," Elijah chimes in, shaking his head at Elena.

Ric fires another flare and Damon finally reaches the edge, grabbing on, he swings out into space where he hangs precariously with one arm as he digs his free hand into the chalk bag that's attached to his waist.

"He's signaling, Damon."

"They're about two hundred yards from the top of the tower, right where the ledge comes out," Elijah lowers his glasses while Elena struggles with the wind.

Seeing the look on his face, Elena says quietly, "He knows it well."

"The ledge, I know it well or_ we_ all know it well?"

"Don't go there."

"What? We spent a night there once..."

"Enough," Elena shushes him.

"We got caught in a storm. I went up there an innocent climber..." Damon chuckles, chalking his hands.

"Oh please, you were never innocent." Elena rolls her eyes.

"And when I came down, my morals were corrupted forever," he teases.

Elena glances at Elijah, "Don't believe him. You know the trouble with you is, you have no filter, everything just pours right out."

Arriving at the overhang, Damon turns around and prepares to kick over, pulling himself up on the ledge. Winded he slumps down and turns his head. "Hi Jenna."

"Damon," her voice trembles.

"Glad you could drop by," Ric chuckles.

Sitting up, Damon says into the radio, "Rescue One, I've located them, prepare the line for transport, over."

"Just wait till you get into trouble some time."

Elena dips the helicopter down towards the ledge, no way she can land there. Elijah lowers a rescue wire to Damon who swings precariously out to grab it. He sees that Jenna is growing more nervous by the minute. Because of the chopper's rotor wash, he has to speak loudly. He eyes Ric and then Jenna.

"How ya feeling?"

"I've had better days..."

Damon grabs at the wire. "We could take off and leave this bum behind..."

Jenna smiles, pretending to consider it while Ric grabs the radio. "Rescue One, please be advised that Ranger Salvatore's making advances toward my girlfriend that are liable to get his ass kicked right into space, over."

"Copy. Ric, tell Damon he only makes advances to me or else he'll be walking down four thousand feet and sleeping outside, over," Elena adds, trying to keep the helicopter steady.

"She's tough," Damon winks at Jenna.

"Is the elevation really that high?"

Damon secures the line to a heavy piton. "It is up there," he raises his eyes, "but I can handle it."

Elijah gets out to secure the wire, now the lifeline spans the chasm.

On the ledge, Damon anchors the line in the rock while Ric clips his harness onto the rescue line. Looking at Jenna, he takes her hand. "I know you're nervous but we've done this a hundred times. Okay?"

Jenna nods and Ric kisses her then pulls himself hand over hand across the sloping line, quickly whizzing the last thirty feet and Elijah grabs him.

Damon steals a glance at Jenna, realizing how frightened she is. "Tonight you and Ric will be laughing about this."

"Oh, I don't know about that," she looks down over the edge.

Damon attaches her harness and Elena mentions to hurry that the winds are picking up.

"On my way. Alright Jenna, are you ready?" He starts to push her out on the line but at the last second she grabs his arm, and drops her head to look down. Damon takes hold of her chin, stopping her, making her look into his eyes.

"I can't."

"Just keep looking at me and only think about the distance across. Count as you go... one... two... by ten you'll be in Ric's arms.

She takes a deep breath and gives him a timid kiss on the cheek. I'm sorry for all the trouble."

Damon pushes her out, nodding across the abyss to Ric who nods back, concerned. Everything that matters to him is suspended by a thread over a 4000 foot drop. She's inching away in the harness, looking a little more confident.

"See?" Damon smiles at her.

"One..."

"You're doing great Jenna."

"Two..."

"That's it, you've got it."

"Three..."

_Thirty feet out, going fine_, Ric watches, his tension beginning to ease.

"Four... Five..."

"Nice and easy..."

"Six..."

Suddenly the strap under Jenna's leg breaks. "Oh God!" she screams, horror exploding with every panicked beat of her heart.

"Jenna!" Ric screams, his breath quickening as he watches the nightmare in front of him.

"I'm going to fall! Dear God, help me!" she cries frantically when the harness completely unravels all at once, its strands fly through the clips. What was a seat has become a trap door in a millisecond. As it shoots out from under her, Jenna falls but grabs the harness strand, holding on with a white knuckle grip.

"Help me! Ric!" Her eyes are wide with panic and her whole body is trembling.

"Hold! Jenna, hold on! Get her Damon!" he screams, his face contorted in worry. He's terrified, Jenna, too scared to breathe, is swaying in from the wind and the jerk of her own weight. Her grip begins to loosen. A single knot in the clip is the only thing supporting her weight. It won't hold her for long.

Elena stares down at her aunt in horror. Adrenaline surges so fast she feels like she has to vomit.

"Damon, get her!"

"I'm coming out," Damon yells, moving back from the ledge as beads of sweat trickle down his brow.

"No, stay off the line, you'll break her loose."

"The clip's not gonna hold!"

"Go after her Damon." Elena watches helplessly while trying to maintain the chopper.

"Hold on, baby, he'll get you," Ric pleads with both of them.

"I'm slipping, please... please..." her eyes are begging him.

Damon gently pulls himself up on the line, crosses his ankles on it and clips himself on with a three foot safely line. He starts smoothly, quickly pulling himself out.

Barely able to watch, his voice cloaked in anguish begs Damon, "Don't you lose her!"

Jenna's in trouble, the bobbing of the line from Damon's weight and the wind are making her lose her grip even more. Damon pulls himself along the line as fast as he can, trying not to shake it. He glances at Ric who has dug in to brace the line. It's not meant to hold this much weight. Jenna lowers her eyes into the abyss below.

"No! Don't look down, look at me. Keep your eyes on me... You can do it, you're stronger that you think... Hold on Jenna."

Her eyes slide up to him, he's only ten feet away now.

"Damon, hurry, you can do it! Just a little more and you've got her," Elena speaks into his ear.

"I'm trying Elena," he drops his focus back to the knot that's now worked itself halfway through. It doesn't matter how tight she holds on, the harness itself is letting go.

"Jenna's losing it," he says into the mic.

"Baby, hold on, he'll have you in a second. Jesus, Damon, grab her!"

Damon pulls himself the rest of the way faster, almost bridging the gap. His eyes lock with Jenna's who is staring at him desperately.

"Please... oh, no - please!" she shrieks, pleading with him to save her.

"I'm here! Jenna, I'm here, I've got you."

Suddenly the clip that's keeping her alive surrenders the knot, it passes through and Jenna begins to fall. Damon lets go of the main line and launches himself at her, miraculously getting a tenuous grip on her upper arm. Damon's three foot safety line pulls taut, testing the limits of it as it yanks him and Jenna back. They start swinging like a pendulum over the abyss. With each swing, her hand slips further down his arm. He frantically tries to tighten his grip but it's slipping. Damon reaches up with his free hand to grab the main line in a desperate attempt to stabilize them but their swinging keeps it out of reach.

"Use your other hand, grab it."

"Help me! I don't want to die!" She can't breathe. Her heart is racing and all she wants to do was curl up into a ball. Another choked cry for help forces itself up and out of her throat.

"You're not gonna die. Grab on with your other hand."

Jenna's too scared to move, her other arm flails helplessly in the air. Their grip slides to wrist level and keeps slipping. Damon's hand digs into her climbing glove and holds.

"Damon hold her! Hold her!" Elena voice cracks in his ear.

His face is a mask of strained concentration as he tries to grab the main line while maintaining his grip on Jenna. Finally he snags it but he can't stabilize them with the next full swing. Exhausted himself, he tries to keep the panic out of his voice. "Do it! Reach up, grab the line, Jenna."

For what feels like an eternity, Jenna's eyes lock onto his with an expression of unabashed terror as her hand slides out of her glove. She falls - her eyes still locked on Damon who looks down, swaying helplessly on the wire as she screams.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling - looking very small against the vast mountain range. The safety harness spirals down after her like a carefree bird.

Her scream echoes through the canyons - fainter, fainter - until it's almost a memory...

Elena and Elijah look down in horror but Ric is absolutely broken. Hearing Jenna's screams in her headset, Elena struggles to maintain her own composure.

Still clutching Jenna's glove, Damon twists precipitously from his safety line. Grief surges with every expelled breath, always reaching higher peaks, never sufficiently soothed by his long intakes of the damp spring air. He wants to but he can't close his eyes. Looking over, they lock with Ric's whose horror and grief are unimaginable.

_To be continued..._

* * *

_Chapter one was inspired by the opening scene in the Stallone movie "Cliffhanger". This story is not that story though. Some of the dialogue in this chapter is from the movie. All rights belong to them._

_I will caution you that we still have a little work to do on this so you may not get a chapter next week. We really just wanted to give you a taste. _

_Thank you Eva for everything you do. You're invaluable... _

_Let us know what you think. _

_Have a great evening. You're all the best. _


	2. Needle in a Haystack

Early spring 2019

If not for a quirk of fate, catching a fleeting glimpse of him in a wall of pictures, she wouldn't be where she is right now, standing there and watching him like a voyeur. He is bigger, beefier, twenty pounds, maybe more. It's all muscle though, the kind gained from hard work, heavy lifting, and from living where the winters are harsh and bitterly cold.

His face is covered by a full beard that furthers the illusion he's become someone else. His hair is still dark and messy but it seems thicker, certainly longer and hanging loosely to just below his shoulders.

The image of Paul Bunyan flashes through her mind, making her laugh out loud. But there he is, chopping wood with strong muscular arms and back. And he's good at it. But then, he's always been good at everything. He's dressed for the part – work boots, blue jeans, and a heavy looking black buffalo check flannel shirt that does nothing to hide his perfectly sculpted chest.

Glittering snowflakes fall soundlessly, taking their time before they reach their destined places of rest, enveloping everything in a calm, silent coldness that is comforting in its own special way. It covers the mountain tops and clings to the trees. It doesn't seem to bother him; he continues swinging the ax methodically, precisely splitting the wood, seemingly oblivious to anything and everything around him. But she knows it's a ruse, he's never been oblivious to anything.

Elena continues to watch him, and even from this distance she can see the roughness of features. He wields the ax like a professional lumberjack. With brawny arms, he raises it above his head smoothly and slams it down powerfully, easily splitting the log. The sound reverberates and rings loudly in her ears.

A sudden gust of wind lifts her hair off her shoulders and blows snow in her eyes. Her breath is pale against the numbing air, she blinks thoughtfully as the frost patiently kisses her face, captivated by the soft, dusty illusions of light that sit heavy on her eyelashes. She looks up at the sky. It's a somber grey save for the band of salmon pink that hovers over the mountains. The dusky grey peaks give the bottom a jagged edge, whereas the clouds above soothe it with charcoal swirls.

Feeling a chill, she pulls her coat tighter around her neck. She takes a step along the bumpy path that leads to his house. Suddenly Elena wonders if he knows she's there. She used to be able to tell when he was close by - an almost imperceptible shift in the air, a slight tingle running down her spine - but eight years have gone by and there is none of that now.

She isn't even sure he'll want to see her after everything but she is here now and can't not try.

He gives no indication that he's aware of her approach. Sucking in a breath, she picks her way through the snow and comes to a stop almost directly in front of him. He doesn't acknowledge her presence, instead he just picks up another log and drops it on the block.

Not expecting it, she jumps a little when he speaks.

"You better move. Wood chips fly everywhere."

Even his voice, although recognizable has a different timbre to it. It is rough and matches his appearance perfectly. His eyes though - they are the same. Calm as the sky before the storm, but as wild as the sea during one. He finally glances up at her when she doesn't heed his advice; the blue is still piercingly intense and his expression is unreadable.

He shrugs and swings his ax. Pieces of wood fly up and rain down on her. She can feel little shards settling in her hair along with the snow.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he says gruffly, grabs another log and drops it onto the chopping block. He swings hard and it splits in two, raining even more debris on her head.

"Damon," She speaks to him for the first time in eight years, it sounds strange - even to her - like a melody she's heard both a thousand times over and never before.

Silence lingers in the air, thick and heavy, like a blanket. He simply stoops over to pick up another another log.

Fragments of thought, splinters of words, and droplets of quietude spin into a kaleidoscopic jumble. Is it even within the realm of possibility that he doesn't recognize her? As unfathomable as the thought is, she's about to open her mouth and tell him when he speaks again.

"What are you doing here, Elena?" He drops the ax onto the ground and it thumps dully.

A small smile plays on her lips. He knows exactly who she is. And Damon being Damon cuts right to the chase. God, she's missed him.

He opens his mouth to say something when a noise sounds from the trees behind her. He raises his hand to silence her as he scans the forest surrounding them. She watches as he does a slow sweep of the property, moving nothing but his eyes.

"Let's get inside," he says abruptly, and heads for the house.

The path sparkles and crunches underfoot as she follows after him, shutting the door behind her when she walks over the threshold. She shakes out her hair as she looks around his house. It's a moderately sized cabin, and she inherently knows that he built it himself. There is something about the attention to detail and she runs her fingers gently over one of the logs, not at all surprised by its smoothness.

She takes in everything while he bangs around, doing something in the kitchen. There is an intricate stone fireplace built into one wall. She's certain he chose and laid each stone himself.

There is a comfy looking couch and a matching chair. In between the two is a small coffee table that he likely built too.

She has a hard time picturing him building things and not running around in climbing shorts, shirt and shoes.

"How did you find me?" he asks stepping into the room from the kitchen. He holds two coffee cups and hands one to her.

"Thanks," she says, gratefully taking a sip of the hot liquid. "Would you believe me if I told you it was nothing more than happenstance?"

An eyebrow arches and he takes a drink from his own cup. "Care to elaborate?"

Elena smiles knowing he'll never be satisfied with that answer. "Do you mind if I sit?" she asks, sinking down into the couch.

"Sure. Hand me your coat," he commands as he sits his coffee mug down on the table. She slips out of it and gives it to him. He removes his own as well and throws them over the back of an old looking rocker.

Elena takes another sip of coffee as he settles into a chair, picks up his cup and waits for an explanation.

"I stopped at a little café slash pub in town - McGill's I think it's called?" He nods in affirmation. "Yeah, while I was waiting for my food, I got up to browse the extensive wall of photos. I looked past it at first and then did a double take, almost comically snapping my head back. I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I saw you in one of them. It was quite a shock, but I did summon the nerve to ask about you and Enzo directed me here."

Damon shakes his head in obvious frustration. "If I've told him once, I've told him a thousand times to take down that damned thing."

She hides a smile behind her coffee cup. "How did that happen anyway? You've always hated having your picture taken," she arches an eyebrow.

He sighs and drinks the rest of his coffee. "I helped him build that place and at the time, his girlfriend went around the place taking pictures of damn near everyone during every phase of its construction. Unfortunately, she got one of me. Enzo has a devilish streak, hanging it for the sole purpose of pissing me off."

Unable to stop herself, Elena laughs out loud.

"What story did you tell to get him to disclose my whereabouts?"

Elena shrugs. "I simply told him that I was an old friend and that we hadn't connected in a very long while. He was practically rolling on the floor with laughter. When I asked him what was so funny, he said I was lying because you're a loner who doesn't have any friends."

"Enzo is a hoot," Damon remarks dryly, but she's pretty sure she caught a hint of a smile under all that hair.

"He seems like the kind of guy who doesn't take shit from anyone."

"Mmmm," Damon agrees and stretches his arms out on the chair's armrests. He quietly considers her... "Why did you come?" he finally asks.

"Did you really think I wouldn't, after seeing your picture?" Her mug is empty and she shivers a little when she sets it down on the table.

Damon stands and reaches for a blanket that's laying at the other end of the couch. "I meant, why did you come here, to this town?" He moves closer and wraps it around her shoulders before sitting down again.

She snuggles the blanket around her. "I was just passing through on my way back to Colorado. I was hungry and it's the first place I saw so I stopped. I must have stared at that photo for half an hour before someone named Bonnie asked me what was on my mind." She brings her knees up and curls further into the blanket. "Given all the time that's passed, I never thought I'd see you again, Damon," she adds, her voice trailing softly.

Damon nods but remains silent.

Elena shivers again and can't decide if she's actually cold or if being so close to him again is what's giving her the chills. "I can't get over how fricking cold it still is at this time of year. You wouldn't happen to have another blanket?"

Damon stares at her momentarily. The emotion in his eyes is fathoms deep, the force of it causes goosebumps to erupt on her skin.

"I'll start a fire," he says pushing up and out of the chair. "We had a late snowstorm and it's supposed to get pretty cold tonight."

There's a pile of wood stacked up next to the fireplace and he begins gathering logs in his arms. She watches him, hardly believing she's actually in the same room with him after so long. There are so many things she wants to say, to ask, but she has no idea where to begin.

"Do you know about Ric?" she asks as he throws some of them into the fireplace. She doesn't know if he's kept in contact with anyone back in Estes Park. She's often wondered if he some how knows that his once best friend is married and now has twin daughters.

He kneels to arrange the wood, stuffs some kindling underneath the grate and lights the whole pile with a match.

"I heard," he says softly, standing up. He doesn't turn around, just rests his hand on the mantle, watching the new-born flames lick the kindling like a hungry kitten. They flicker and dance in shades of orange, red and yellow. The smoke twists in the draft toward the chimney and in minutes the flames grow ravenous, hungrily devouring the fuel. Soon the small of wood smoke drifts through the small house like incense.

While staring into the hearth, Elena's mind drifts to the past. Reeling over Jenna's tragic death, coming to terms with it took a lot of time and a heavy toll on all of them. Ric met Jo three years after... it didn't take long for him to propose. The popping sound of the wood snaps her out of her musings.

"Damon?"

He turns around slowly and she's almost expecting him to tell her to go, but he just looks at her, his normally expressive eyes now again unreadable.

Setting her cup down, she meets his stare, "Why didn't you come back?"

* * *

_*Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack in American folklore. His exploits revolve around the tall tales of his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox. _

_Thanks so very much for the exceptionally warm welcome for this story. It means so much to Eva and I. If not for you all, we wouldn't be here. Our personal lives are incredibly busy with work, family, etc. We make time because we both love Damon and Elena so much and aren't ready to say goodbye to them just yet. _

_Thank you Eva, like I've said before, I have these ideas pop into my head and it's you jump, I jump. _

_Chapter title: 'Needle in a Haystack' by The Velvelettes._

_Let us know what you think. We just completed 'The Quiet Room'. Right now we're hard at work on 'Cold Wind to Valhalla'. _

_Have a terrific day, thank you all, you're all amazing beyond words. We'll see you next time._


	3. When the Lavender Returns

Damon shoves his hands deep into his pockets and leans against the fireplace mantle. Although his eyes are a maze she could get lost in, Elena doesn't miss the flash of pain while he examines her face and then they close briefly, as if it hurts to look at her.

_The mountain is pristine and white, even the dark green of the pines is mostly coated in the crystalline snow. He listens to the silence that hangs so thickly in the now frigid air at this elevation. With every step, he hears the soft crunch underfoot and somehow it's calming despite all that's happened. _

_"You fucking let her fall" Ric reels back, landing a closed fisted punch to Damon's jaw, splitting his lip. _

_Sticking his tongue out, Damon tastes the blood. __"I fucking didn't let her fall. I tried to save her," his eyes lock on Ric's furious ones. _

_"Go to hell," he spits and walks away, leaving Damon behind to pick up the pieces. _

"I thought it would be best," he answers after what seems to be an eternity.

"For who? You?"

He shrugs and she doesn't know what he means.

"For me?" she tries again.

He gives her a subtle nod and she can't contain the sigh that falls from her mouth. He's always believed he knows what's best for her.

"So you thought never seeing me again would be a good thing? How could you ever believe in such foolishness?"

He blows out a long breath before answering. "I thought it was best for everyone involved. Ric didn't need a reminder every time he looked at me wishing I was dead instead of Jenna. Hell, I wish it would've been me. You wished it would've been me too," he accuses, turning away from her.

_"Damon, that was Jenna, my only aunt. You knew what she meant to me and Jeremy. I... I can't do this right now," Elena closes the door in his face. _

Elena knows she treated him unfairly, terribly so as did Ric. _We hurt the one's we love the most._ Elijah's the only one who gave him a fair shake, knowing they were damn lucky that Damon didn't die along with her aunt that tragic day. What she remembers most is the look on his face when she closed that door the day of her funeral. Tears come unexpectedly, she blinks furiously to keep them at bay.

"I went to your place when I got a handle on my emotions, but you were already gone."

Damon pushes off the mantel and she thinks for a second that he's going to come to her and wrap her in his arms. Instead he drops back into the chair across from the couch. She tries to mask her disappointment and instead fixes her eyes on the bare patch of skin where his shirt separates.

"I had to go," he sighs, grabbing his coffee mug. He cradles it in both hands and peers inside as if just realizing it's empty. "I couldn't live with myself, seeing the pain on your face, on Ric's every time you had to see me... An opportunity presented itself for a new life in a new town and I took it."

"It wasn't your fault, Damon."

He shakes his head while rolling the cup's handle between his fingers. "If I had just held on..."

"You did everything humanly possible...," her voice trails off when he looks away.

After Jenna's service, Elena got on the first plane home to Virginia. She missed her parents and her brother. She stayed there a month before going back to Colorado and Rocky Mountain Rescue. By the time she returned, her head was clear and she wanted to seek out Damon but by then he was simply gone, having left without leaving a forwarding address. He turned in his resignation to Elijah and that's the last time any of them saw him. Every day she hoped he'd have a change of heart and show up at the office and every night she hoped he'd appear on her doorstep, instead he only came in her dreams.

_Heartache is like a red hot coal placed in her chest, it glows and burns at the same time, but it does not cool quickly like a coal in water, it throbs and tortures her in all her waking hours. There is no relief to be found no matter how hard she tries to find it._

"I was in shock, Ric was dying inside. You know how much we both loved Jenna. I can sit here today and tell you how very wrong we both were and how unfairly we behaved... But Damon, you didn't have the right to make that kind of decision for me," she snaps, not trying at all to hide the fury in her voice. "You didn't even think about how I would feel did you? Couldn't you have at least talked to me about it first? Or even just let me say good-bye?" She swipes angrily at a tear that escapes down her cheek against her will.

"I waited for you after I came back from Virginia. I kept telling myself you'd eventually show up, that you were just... I don't know, taking a time out from your own life. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months and then years... Ric met Jo and got married..."

She watches Damon clench his fists on the arms of the chair. Even after all this time, it's still tough to think about Jenna and the life she should be living with Ric. She swallows past the lump in her throat before continuing.

"I thought there was no way you would let something like that go by without some sort of card, letter, or phone call. When it did and there was nothing, that's when I knew you weren't ever coming home."

He opens his mouth, but whatever he was going to say remains unformed on his tongue. Innumerable emotions flicker in Damon's dark eyes but she can't distinguish between them. An endless depth of ink, sorrow, and pain. He remains silent and assessing. Elena supposes he knows she has more to say to him.

She tips her head back and closes her eyes, suddenly very tired, having had this conversation with him in her head too many times to count, but actually saying the words out loud is exhausting. "I don't suppose you have any wine, do you?" she asks without looking at him.

He doesn't respond but then a minute later, she feels the couch dip beside her. She lifts her head and finds him with a glass of red in each hand, offering one to her.

"I was half joking but thank you."

He nods and takes a sip from his glass.

She does the same and stares into the blazing fire as the cool liquid slides down her throat. The glowing embers leap and twirl in a fiery dance, twinkling like stars in the hot swirling air before cascading to earth like gleeful fire fairies.

"It's good," she taps the glass with her fingernail and takes another sip.

"Enzo's parents have a winery in northern California, it's their brand."

Elena tilts her head as she watches him. "I went back to work."

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away," he remarks matter-of-factly.

Elena drinks more wine and then cradles the glass in her palm, the stem hanging through her fingers.

"I tried to move on after I was sure you were gone for good," she mentions, swirling the wine around a few times. "I dated, I even got engaged, it lasted a couple months... Fortunately I realized the marriage would be a disaster before it went too far," she looks away. How could she even think she can replace _him_, Damon? Her mind's immediately taking her back to the night they met.

_"Where are you going?" she asks before she can stop herself. She saw this guy hanging out with Elijah at the bar but he left without making introductions, clearly forgetting that he was her ride home._

_His head cocks to the side, his eyes shifting from the ground to her face. Her heart pounds against her chest and she can barely breathe. _

_"Why?" his eyes are twinkling like they are made of stardust and then cut out of the sky. His lips lift into a toe curling smirk._

_All she can manage is a stuttering "Just wondering." _

_"I'm guessing you need a ride?" His voice is soft-spoken and mellow, sending a warm glow throughout her body. _

_"What makes you think that?" _

_"Lucky guess, I heard you asking about Elijah" he smiles and motions her towards the passenger's seat before unlocking the car. _

_"What's your name?" She asks when they're on the highway. _

_"Damon."_

_"Cute name," she smiles coyly._

Elena glances at him and bites down on her lower lip. "Am I talking too much? This feels like a very one-sided conversation." He cocks an eyebrow and she continues, "I guess I shouldn't be a bit surprised."

He works the muscle in his jaw a couple times. "I want you to be able to say everything you want with minimal interruptions. When you're through, I have a few things of my own to say."

This time she arches an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes," he replies simply. "Did you immediately go back to mountain rescue?"

She sighs and drinks more of her wine. "Not at first but I realized how much I loved flying that helicopter. As you know, I was a fighter pilot in the Navy. Flying is a part of who I am." She finishes what's in her glass and sets it on the table next to her coffee cup.

Damon sips from his own. "What did you do before you went back?"

"I tried being a dispatcher among other things." She meets his stare. Damon's eyes are the most unlikely shade of blue. It's like someone managed to trap a thousand volts of electricity inside his irises and now they spin there, sparking wildly at their imprisonment, hovering somewhere between deep blue and violet. Elena can't stop herself from remembering.

_One touch and it's over, it's always that way with Damon. He takes her to heights she's never even considered before and not just in the bedroom. When the door closes every pretense fails. Every kiss has a raw intensity - breathing hard - heart beating faster. _

_"Please Damon," she pants desperately as she reaches out for him. _

_"Soon," he sounds as breathless as she is. "I need to taste you first."_

_His eyes hold hers as he crawls down her body and using his shoulders, spreads her legs wide, nuzzling her mound and laying soft kisses on her thighs. Elena holds her breath, trembling in anticipation. He uses his thumbs to spread her folds, she watches as his eyes drift shut as he lowers his mouth._

_She writhes under his onslaught, her hands fist in his hair, her head thrashes back and forth as he licks, sucks and tastes. _

_"I need you... now" _

_Damon holds out as long as he can but finally gives in. He moves back up her body to kiss her, letting her taste herself on his mouth. He positions himself between her thighs, hovering over her. _

_"Now," she chants, lifting her hips._

_Planting his palms on either side of her, Damon thrusts forward. Elena lets out a long, satisfied moan as he fills her completely. She wants to go slow but her body is too hungry for release. She's hyper aware of everything, sensations are more exquisite, the sound of his labored breathing mixing with hers is more erotic and the musky smells of sweat and sex are more potent than ever... _

"You don't belong behind a desk," he interjects.

Elena shivers slightly, his voice pulling her out of that intense memory. "I thought you weren't going to interrupt."

A small smile turns up one corner of his mouth and he gestures with his hand. "Please continue."

"There isn't much more to tell."

"How did you end up here?" Damon finishes what's left in his glass.

"I came here to see my brother. He's married and has a nice home in Coeur d' Alene."

Damon's been staring into his wine glass and that brings his head up sharply, "Visiting this time of year?"

"His wife, Anna just had a baby. I'm an aunt now," she pauses when a flash of little Seth cradled in her arms appears in her mind.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks," she smiles and takes a breath. "I suppose there's still a part of me that never let the notion die that if I wandered around once in awhile, I would eventually run into you. And shockingly enough, that's exactly what happened."

"A shock to me too," Damon shakes his head.

"I shouldn't be surprised, A tiny town in the mountains of Idaho is exactly the type of place you'd choose. And you, looking like this…." she considers his long hair and the beard. "I feel like I'm in an alternate universe."

He almost smiles. "Where were you headed, I mean before I derailed you today?"

"Back to Estes Park, Elijah's dad died," she replies and then turns away from him back to the hearth. The flames lick at the logs in the grate, bringing about a chorus of crackling that momentarily distracts her. She watches as the outer edges curl and ignite, releasing a flurry of sparks in that captivating golden yellow that flicker and dance with their smoke twisting in the draft toward the chimney. In minutes they grow ravenous, hungrily devouring everything in the grate.

Damon places a larger log into their seductive clutches and watches, hypnotized by their fiery, frenzied consumption. Elena breathes in the scent of sweet willow bark and twigs that give way to the hickory and maple scent of the kindling as the fire grows, when the oak logs catch, the scent of roasted acorns mingles with it and the warmth of a forest wraps around her like a comforter.

Damon takes a couple breaths beside her and then his large hand is on her shoulder. He squeezes once through the thick blanket and then is on his feet, gathering the glasses and cups from the table. As she watches him disappear into the kitchen she has one of those epiphanies she'd heard other people talk about having but that she's never experienced before. He walks back into the living room holding another glass of wine and sits it down in front of her. He sinks into the chair and looks at her.

"Are you ready for my turn?"

"Yes," she picks up the glass with both hands.

"You're sure?"

Elena nods and takes a giant gulp of wine.

"Was he sick?"

"No. Died in his sleep, heart attack. Knowing Mikael the way we did, I'm sure he was spewing colorful metaphors all the way to the pearly gates... he always wanted to go out in a blaze of glory, like jumping his motorcycle across the Grand Canyon or something."

"Yep, I can picture that," Damon takes another swallow from his glass, his eyes drifting off for a moment. "He was a great man, a mentor to many. He taught me everything I know about climbing," he admits and smiles at her again. "A know it all, a gruff personality but everyone respected him."

"Yeah, he was," she agrees. "The funeral is on Saturday so I need to get back on the road soon..."

Damon looks out the window, it's nearly nightfall, the trees are crazy silhouettes against the awakening darkness. Their branches sway in the wind, creaking into the gusting air. The first sounds of the nocturnal animals come, a hoot of an owl and the howl of a coyote.

He should urge her to leave right now, before everything gets more complicated but he knows he won't. What if in these shadows, with her mind on this unlikely painful reunion she takes the wrong turn and skids off the road ending up crashing into a tree or worse...

"You might want to stay for the night, I'll take the couch. The roads are treacherous and you're not familiar with them..."

Elena studies him for a moment, this is the best she can get. Eight years and so many tragic memories and he's still looking out for her.

"Thank you, I'd like that."

* * *

_Eva and I want to thank you all so very much. You're all the best. Your friendships, kind words and support are very much loved and appreciated._

_Chapter title: 'When the Lavender Returns' by Catman Cohen._

_Have a safe and wonderful day. Thank you again for everything. We'll see you next time. ;)_


	4. Chasin' the Wind

"Didn't you mention that you had some things to say?" Elena pulls the blanket more snuggly around her.

"I did," he affirms. The muscles in his jaw tick and she suspects that he's choosing his words carefully. He picks up his wine glass and empties it.

The corners of her mouth lift, even Damon needs a little liquid courage sometimes.

He swallows and then blows out a breath. "When I saw you walking up the path to the house, I thought I was going to have a coronary. I was furious that you had found me and at the same time so damn happy to see you I was pretty sure something was going to burst in my brain."

"Okay..." she says slowly trying to process his contradictory words.

Damon shifts in his chair. "At first, there wasn't a single day that I didn't want to go back, show up at your door and take you in my arms." He takes a breath and is silent for a beat, looking at his hands that are knotted in his lap.

"Damon?" Elena finds herself blinking a lot and sucks in a breath herself.

"I stuck it out, bought this little piece of land, built my home and started over," he sighs and looks up to join their eyes. "I blamed myself for a long time, not a day goes by that I don't think 'what if', what if I had a better hold on her, what if the line hadn't failed..."

"Damon."

"No, let me finish, I didn't blame you for not wanting to see me, I still don't but you have to know how that felt. Ric couldn't have been more obvious in his disdain and then you didn't want to see me either. It hurt like a son of a bitch, Elena. That kind of pain isn't like a cut or a bruise, it's like a spider web, intricate, yet strong and lasting..."

"Damon, I'm so..."

"Don't, he raises his palm to shush her. "I knew that in time it would eventually ease up and for the most part it has. I have a life here, this place isn't much but it's mine. With each year that passes, I become more convinced that it was the right decision, the only one that I could make given the circumstances. I have everything I need, and I take care of myself..."

His admission isn't a surprise but the words cut deep nonetheless. "What do you do?" she changes the topic, understanding the veiled meaning.

"I bartend at Enzo's once in a while, I chop wood and sell it among other things, I get by," he refills his glass and pops the cork back in the bottle.

She finds herself staring at his beautiful face. Damon has the most wonderful eyes – they are blue, mostly, but darken to grey in correspondence to his mood. He seldom smiles with his lips, but it is his eyes that shine instead. Shaking herself out of it, she grabs his glass and drinks what's left in it.

"I'm just happy to know you're alive..." Suddenly feeling incredibly fatigued, she stands up to stretch. Turning away from him she moves to open the door. An icy blast of wind nearly knocks her over. Fog has moved in, looming as far as she can see, it's almost tangible, shrouding everything in a thick white veil, his outside light barely managing to penetrate the haze.

She spins around to the warmth of the fire and sucks in a breath to find Damon gone. Moments later though, he steps through a door.

"I got the bed ready for you. You can sleep in one of my tee shirts unless you have something in your purse?" he arches an eyebrow at her.

"I don't as a habit keep a nightgown in my bag... I do have a suitcase in my car," she covers her mouth as another yawn escapes.

"Well, I can bundle up and go get if you'd like or you can use a shirt."

"Don't bother, I'll wear the tee."

Damon nods and leads her into his room. She looks around, it's a simple décor. A king sized log bed, a dresser, beside stand and a decent sized television. He pulls a tee shirt out of his drawer and lays it on the mattress.

"The bathroom is across the hall if you need it."

"Goodnight Damon," she sets her purse down on the dresser.

"Night," he backs out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Picking up the shirt, she presses it to her nostrils, breathing in his uniquely Damon scent. Sighing, she undresses, slips the tee on and crawls under the covers... although her mind is buzzing, her body is simply too fatigued, allowing sleep to come quickly.

* * *

Tiredness swallows Damon whole. Sleep comes over him like cruel shattering waves, more vivid than ever before. The intensity of his exhaustion has created a perfect canvas for the nightmare that's always the same, dropping him back into his own personal version of hell.

_Elena's too scared to move, her other arm flails helplessly in the air. Their grip slides to wrist level and keeps slipping. Damon's hand digs into her climbing glove and holds. His face is a mask of strained concentration as he tries to grab the main line while maintaining his grip on her. Finally he snags it but he can't stabilize them with the next full swing. Exhausted himself, he tries to keep the panic out of his voice. "Do it! Reach up, Elena, please grab the line." _

_Elena's eyes lock onto his with an expression of unabashed terror as her hand slides out of her glove. She falls - her eyes still locked on Damon who looks down, swaying helplessly on the wire as she screams. _

_Falling. _

_Falling. _

_Falling - looking very small against the vast mountain range. The safety harness spirals down after her like a carefree bird. Her scream echoes through the canyons - fainter, fainter and then deafening silence. _

His eyes snap open in terror. An invisible hand clasps over his mouth, an equally ghostly hypodermic of adrenaline pierces his heart, unloading in an instant. His ribs heave as if bound by ropes, straining to inflate his lungs. His head is a carousel of fears spinning out of control, each one pushing his mind into blackness... creeping blackness...

Sweat beads on his forehead and his breath comes in harsh gasps as he lurches upright and throws his feet on the floor. Dropping his face in his hands, he tries to get his panic attack under control. He attempts to stand but teeters and he has to grab onto the arm of the couch to steady himself.

Shaking himself out of it, he walks into the kitchen to reach for the bourbon he keeps in the cupboard. Pouring a generous amount, he leans back against the countertop and throws it back, grimacing at the burn. As soon as he can breathe normally, he puts the bottle away and goes back to the couch to lay down. He closes his eyes and shifts onto his side, bringing his legs up in a fetal position all but certain that sleep will prove elusive on this night.

* * *

Rolling over in bed, Elena slowly opens her eyes. It takes her a minute to get her bearings, still astounded by the unlikelihood of yesterday and finding Damon again. A part of her always wanted to believe their paths were destined to cross again one day but as the years passed, she began to lose hope. If she hadn't stopped in that bar and seen his picture... Sometimes life really does work in mysterious ways. Shifting onto her back, she stares at the ceiling for a few moments. She can't help but wonder if he's had a serious relationship at some point_... _

Sighing, she sits up on edge of the bedside, her feet touching the cold, smooth wooden floor. The air is thick with the scent of coffee and burning wood from the fireplace. Her eyes scan his bedroom again. There's a large window with heavy curtains. The morning sun is streaming through the slight gap in them. Only now does she catch a glimpse of a picture frame sitting on top of the dresser. She stands to pick it up. It's a selfie of the two of them laying in the grass. She feels a slight catch in her chest then runs a fingertip wispily across_ his_ handsome face.

_The meadow is on a gentle slope and interspersed with western white and lodgepole pine trees. The wild flowers are a cacophony of color, purple Calypso orchids, blue cornflowers, orange daylilies and tall asters with their yellow centers. There is no coordination, just a free-for-all choreographed by the wind. Elena's laying with her head on his chest, her fingernail running circles over it. She smiles when she feels him kiss the crown of her head. _

_"I love you, Elena," he whispers, his eyes dropping to meet hers. _

_"I love you too," she raises up on her elbow and captures his lips in a searing kiss, one that makes her toes curl._

Hearing a rap on the bedroom door, she takes a breath, snapping out of the memory. "Breakfast is ready," comes from the other side of it.

"I'll be out shortly, I just have to get dressed," she sets the picture down. She tries not to think about the leaving part as she goes into the bathroom to shower and dress...

* * *

"Smells good," Elena remarks when she joins him in the kitchen.

"I seem to remember you liking pancakes," he sets a plate in front of her.

"I definitely do," she picks up the syrup, drenches them and after taking a long swallow of coffee, she sticks a big bite of the blueberry goodness into her mouth. "So good," she mumbles, savoring the deliciousness.

Damon fights the urge to smile as he watches her devour her breakfast.

"The forecast looks good all the way to Colorado," Damon mentions, offering her a coffee refill.

"No thanks, I need to get on the road," she takes her last bite and gets up, setting her dishes in the sink. Elena looks at him for a long moment before walking out to put on her coat and grab her bag. His stomach turns a little at the thought of letting her go again but this is his life now.

When she reappears, he follows her outside to her car. After throwing her purse inside, she turns around to face him. Time slows once more, as if her brain needs a mental keepsake to give her strength. Then, a bird sings, bringing her back into this moment. She sucks her lower lip between her teeth for a second, her eyes never deviating from his. "Would you consider coming home with me? It doesn't have to be permanent."

He looks aside, his jaw locked and she knows she won't be able to persuade him. There's nothing she can say or do today to ease his burden.

"Goodbye Damon," she takes his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Thank you for letting me stay," she lets go, gets into the car and starts the engine. His blue eyes never drift from her form. Rolling down the window, she looks up. "I'm really happy I got to see you. Take care of yourself okay?"

Damon nods, "Drive carefully."

"I will." Elena forces a smile, rolls up the window and drives away.

Damon watches till the car is no longer visible. Watching her leave feels like a dagger being driven in all over again. Heartache is like the music of a great orchestra. At times it's quiet and allows him to function, at other times the violins play and he feels sad. Sometimes it rises to a crescendo and anger bursts from his chest in a vicious shout. But right now, a trumpet is playing the sad and lonely notes of _'Taps'._

Now that he's seen her again, he can't escape the familiar ache that's bubbling up inside him like a geyser about to erupt. Shaking his head, he sucks in a breath of the brisk air, turns around and slowly walks back into his house.

* * *

Pushing the door closed, Damon refills his cup of coffee and goes into the living room. He sits down in his rocker and stares into the flames...

_Dusk brings such a silence that the crackle of their campfire is all that can be heard, like a crazy kind of natural music. The flames lick at the wood and the red sparks dance in the cool breeze. Damon sits close to the mossy log, his face toasty warm. Elena's snuggled in under his arm, mesmerized and relaxed. _

_As night falls the blue haze of day lifts to reveal the stars. Just gazing at the midnight blue canvass above steals every thought from his mind, the usual carousel of worries simply forgotten. The moon, swinging low in the heavens, casts long, deep shadows far down the trail._

_It's a pretty night," Elena mentions, her palm resting protectively on his belly. _

_"It pales in comparison to the light I have in my arms," he looks down at her, drops a kiss to her forehead and pulls her closer. He never wants to let her go._

Shaking himself out of it, he empties his cup and looks around at his meager existence. The sun streams through the windows, yet his mind is clouded with grey. Yesterday had been so unexpected but he can't deny how good it felt to see her again, to just be in the same room with her. He's tried to move on, there have been random dates, one night stands, he even tried dating once, that lasted all of about six weeks. His heart isn't his to give to anyone else, truth is, she owns it...

_"Damon, Elena's going to be our new chopper pilot," Mikael introduces her. _

_"Hello Elena," he shakes her hand vigorously. _

_Her eyes dart to Mikael who's waiting to take her up in the helicopter. "Yeah, I should probably go. It's nice meeting you again, Damon." _

_"My thoughts exactly," he gives her a nod and watches as she and Mikael walk away._

His mood ricochets somewhere between low and lower. The painful memories, they're the same as nightmares, only they don't vanish when he's awake. Lonely was once an abstract idea, an affliction of the old. He had Elena and she had him, life, love and the hereafter. They were supposed to marry, have a family, grow old together but life has a cruel way of disrupting even the best laid plans.

First is the shock - denial, anger, despair... It takes so long to arrive at acceptance, the final stage the counselors long to scrawl into their notes. It isn't much of a destination though. It's an empty train station, no people, no trains, nowhere to go. It's hearing and seeing with none of it mattering. It's the world carrying on with business as usual, but for him it can never be the same again. Without sharing the love he'll always feel for her, it deflates. leave a gaping bloody hole in his chest...

* * *

It's around noon on Friday when she finally gets home. The drive from Coeur d'Alene to Estes Park is a thousand miles. She stayed in a little town in northern Wyoming last night and got up very early to finish the sixteen hour drive. Although she's tired, she doesn't regret staying an extra night in Idaho with him. "Damon," she says aloud although no one is there to hear her. Setting her suitcase down, she goes into the kitchen and pulls out a bottle of Starbucks cold brew.

She ambles into her living room, plops down on the couch, kicks her shoes off and spreads her legs out on the coffee table. After taking a long swallow, she pulls her phone out of her pocket to text Jeremy, letting him know she got home safely. If she had seen phone laying around at Damon's house, she would've called her phone with it so she'd have his number if nothing more than to have some sort of connection to him. Laying her head back, she closes her eyes just to rest a few minutes...

The doorbell rings again. It is tinny and grating. It demands that she get up and go to the door. Sighing, she sits up and brushes her hair off of her face. Then it rings non-stop. Someone wants her attention pretty bad. Whoever it is puts their thumb on the button without releasing it at all and in her fury she lollops to the door and flings it wide ready to shout.

"Elijah? What's with the incessant banging and bell ringing?" she puts her hand on her hip, glaring at him.

"You were supposed to be home yesterday? I was worried about you," he walks in and pushes the door shut.

"What!? So I'm on a time table now?"

"No of course not but it's a long drive, Elena. I don't know, I was concerned."

Her anger fades as quickly as it came. "Thank you. You're a good friend. "Want some coffee?"

"Sure," Elijah follows her into the kitchen and considers her demeanor. Elena's being quiet. Too quiet. Usually she fills the void with insane stories about her time in the military, or with multiple sarcastic comments about anything and everything, but not now. She isn't talking at all and the silence is starting to get to him. He's always got a chuckle out of her smart mouth and he misses it.

"You okay, Elena?" he reaches across the space between them and takes her hand in his. She turns her head and meets his gaze. Her big brown eyes are filled with something he hasn't seen for a very long time.

"I should be asking you that," she murmurs and squeezes his fingers gently with hers.

"I'm fine." The response is one he'd been automatically giving since the day his dad died and while most people take it at face value, Elena isn't most people. Elijah sighs heavily. Reaching over, he tilts her chin up. "Elena, we've known each other for a long time. I know when something is on your mind. You ought to know by now that you can talk to me."

"This will take alcohol," she admits and reaches into the cupboard for the bottle of Jack Daniels. Grabbing two shot glasses, she tilts her head, gesturing for him to sit. After pouring each of them a glass, she raises hers, clinking it with his. "Cheers." They swallow them down Elena then refills them, and sets the bottle down.

"You're never going to believe it but I actually ran into Damon," she watches as surprise and shock wash over his face.

"After all this time? My God, Elena," he throws his back and pours himself another.

"He has a cabin in the Idaho wilderness, not far from Coeur d'Alene. I was on my way home, stopped in a pub to get something to eat and there on the wall was his picture. I nearly lost my lunch."

"I can't believe it," he shakes his head.

"He's living like Grizzly Adams, full beard, long hair, he's gained 20 pounds of muscle. I spent the night with him," she raises her palm when Elijah mouth drops. "I didn't sleep with him, he slept on the couch. He didn't want me driving at night." Elena reaches for the bottle and fills her glass again.

"He's still living with it, Elijah, and it's my fault, I knew he did everything humanly possible short of dying himself to save Jenna but I still shut him out. He deserved better from me."

"Yes, he did but Elena, he'd never hold that against you."

"I know that. I just wish I could turn back the clock." She rakes her hand through her hair.

"We all do, Elena. We all do," Elijah lays his hand on top of hers. He happens to catch the wall clock and sighs, screwing the lid back on the Jack Daniels. "I have to get home, I promised my mom I'd stay at the house tonight."

"I understand," Elena gets up and follows him to the foyer.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asks, his hand on the doorknob.

"I have to be," she acknowledges. "Give Esther a hug for me."

"I will. I'll see you in the morning."

"You will." She walks him to his car, waving when he drives away. She stares at the road for a few moments then slowly walks up the sidewalk and into her quiet house, reminding her once again how empty it is without him in it.

* * *

Elena is dressed in a square-necked, knee length dress and sleeves reaching just below the elbows. She pairs with a black belt around her waist, black pumps and a wristlet to carry her driver's license and some cash. She trots up the stone steps and into the church, walking all the way up front to pay her respects to Mikael as his body lays in repose near the altar. As if sensing her approach, Elijah looks over his shoulder and nods at her, silently mouthing "Thank you."

She nods and after placing her hand on the casket, she takes a seat in one of the pews and looks around, observing all the people who are there to pay their respects to a great man. To her left are Ric and Jo. He raises two fingers and salutes her, acknowledging her presence. Elena shakes her head, ever since he found out she served in the Navy, he insists on doing that. Lizzie and Josie are nowhere to be seen so she suspects they must have a babysitter.

The organ music starts to play and the guests stand up as the celebrant makes his way down the aisle to the front of the church. The funeral service has only just started when Elena notices a swath of sunlight suddenly appear and then slowly disappear. Looking over her shoulder, her brain stutters for a moment, desperately scrambling to distinguish if it's real or a hallucination. Then every part of her goes on pause while her thoughts catch up.

Her face is stuck in an incredulous expression, her eyes an unblinking stare as they meet his, their blue hue the envy of any summer sky. Then he's sitting beside her. She can't will her lips to move, it's as if she's stuck underwater, everything is slow and warbles as he reaches across her knees for a hymnal. There's an inkling of wistfulness and still his eyes shine.

Unable to mask the shock, she wants to say something, and searches her mind for it... only one word manages to escape.

_"Damon..." _

* * *

_Thanks to all of you. Sometimes it's hard to find words to truly express how much your support and friendships means to both of us. You're all truly wonderful people._

_Thank you Eva. Love you. _

_Chapter title: 'Chasin' the Wind' by Chicago._

_We hope you all have a safe and wonderful day._


	5. Two Divided by Love

"Thank you," Damon hands the beautician some cash for cutting his hair and shaving his full beard. He's had both his long mane and facial hair since leaving Estes Park. Nearly a decade has passed since he last set foot in this town and still it feels strange. This place was his home for a lot of years before Jenna...

Even though he knows the scars will never completely heal, he didn't expect the ache to nearly double him over. Driving past Long's Peak and through Rocky Mountain National Park, it was bittersweet at best. He's still in awe of its beauty but knows all too well how lethal it can be...

He didn't plan to come here now, nor did he ever have any plans to return but having Elena at his place, he realized he can't even call it a home without her presence. Mere minutes after her car disappeared behind the trees lining the path, he already knew coming back to the life he built in the Idaho wilderness will cost him every bit of strength, if he even had enough of it left. It took him another day to lose the fight and hop into his car, admitting there's no place he should rather be than paying his respects to Mikael along with the rest of them. Because he needed closure...

Exiting the business, he drives the car back to The Stanley Hotel and then takes off down the street to browse around for a little while. Estes Park is touristy town, shops with handcrafted items, jewelry, all kinds of things. Seeing a sign for ice cream, he walks inside, gets himself a waffle cone and jogs down the block to a little park, taking a seat on one of the picnic tables. Leaning back, he raises his eyes to the sky above. It was a day just like this when the two of them were climbing in Rocky Mountain National Park, whose peaks rise in the distance in front of him. The corners of his mouth raise when he remembers how they had to take shelter under a ledge when a thunderstorm rolled in.

_The boom rolls across the valley, the boughs of the trees sway in the strengthening gusts, surrendering their leaves without a fight. Then come the first drops of rain. Dense grey clouds block out the afternoon light, casting them in a premature twilight. On a far peak, a jagged bolt of white hot lightening splits the blue gray sky, and then it is gone. Thunder is only a second behind reverberating in the sky above._

_They lay naked in the moonlight, wind howling, his arm draped over Elena's waist. She leans in for a kiss, the kind he wants to last forever. Damon glides his hand over her skin to her face, brushing a few wild strands of hair off of her face. "Have I ever told you how much I love you?" _

_Elena grins, "No, uh uh," she shakes her head back and forth. _

_"Well I do and you know what?" _

_She sucks her lower lip between her teeth and stares at him with those burning brown eyes. "What?" _

_"I always will," he rolls her beneath him and slams his lips to hers. He smiles against them when her arms reach up and tangle around his thick, strong neck. Her eyes are candles, their light a spark of passion... desire. As a small but teasing smile creeps upon her face and he feels goosebumps dotting her skin, not the kind that one gets in the cold, but the kind one gets when nothing else matters except right here, right now. _

_Her heels dig into his ass when he thrusts forward and his name leaves her lips. Their breaths rise in visible puffs and though there is a soft wind they are warm with one another. She deserves silk sheets and rose petals not outdoor sex but at the moment, he doesn't care and he doubts she does either. Tomorrow this memory will be the reason behind their grins. _

A young child's happy scream pulls him back to reality. Looking around he smiles at the boy squealing loudly while his mother pushes him on the swing set. Glancing at this watch, Damon must hurry so he can get to the funeral. He jogs back to the Stanley Hotel and hurries to his room. After taking a quick shower, he puts on his black dress pants, oxfords and gray button down, he slips a black tie around his neck. He spritzes on a little of a sample vial of cologne and then leaves, pulling his room door closed behind him.

When Damon arrives at the old church, he can hear the organ music and smell the incense. Moving into the vestibule, he pauses to scan the crowd, and that's when he sees her. Sucking in a deep breath, he walks softly until he reaches her pew. As if sensing his presence, she looks up and her lips part. Damon sits down and nods at her, wondering if her heart is thrumming as fast as his is...

* * *

The funeral service is slower than a country bus, taking just as many detours. Everyone has a memory to share, a favorite hymn to sing. Esther would want him to go out with a bang and not a whimper.

It's all black clothes and white waxy faces, almost every one of them with puffed red eyes. Not him though, if there's one thing he's learned in the past eight years, it's how to keep his emotions in check. He knew Mikael, he could be a bastard when he wanted to be, when people didn't meet his expectations but he was a good teacher and the most skilled rescuer he's ever known. Damon respected him a great deal.

Taking a breath, he shares a glance with Elena. Somehow the simple brush of her arm against his sends a wave of butterflies coursing through his veins, their fluttering wings easing the dread that has settled inside him. Elijah is standing on one side of their mother, Kol on the other. He knows that she and Mikael had five kids, he suspects the others seated in the same pew are probably them.

Sweeping the crowd a little more, he recognizes Matt Donovan, he's a pilot too, filling in when Elena has a day off. There's Mason and Tyler Lockwood, both spent some time with their crew before moving to Denver to start some sort of business. His eyes drift a little more and then they lock with Ric's. Several seconds pass before he turns away and Damon drops his stare too, shifting his eyes to the casket. Lost in thought, it takes a gentle nudge from Elena and then they get in line to vacate the church.

* * *

As soon as they're outside, Elena pulls him aside. "I'm actually in shock that you're here."

Damon looks around, everywhere but at her. Her presence still consumes him. He steps back when the pall bearers carry Mikael's body to the waiting hearse.

_Damon stays hidden in the vestibule as Jenna's funeral concludes. He tucks himself back in a corner while her casket is carried out of the church. Elena's eyes are swollen, tear tracks and smeared mascara evidence of her grief. Ric is trying to stay strong but when he sets his hand on the box holding her body, he breaks down, mournful wales filling the church. As soon as he sees Ric and Elena slide into a car to take them to the cemetery, he leaves, walking dejectedly back to his car._

"Are you going to answer me?"

"I came to pay my respects to Mikael. I admired him a lot," the words die on his lips when Elijah takes his arm and embraces him shortly.

"Damon, it's really good to see you. Thanks for being here, I'm sure wherever dad is, he's delighted."

Swallowing thickly, Damon forces a smile on his face. "I wasn't going to come but I knew I needed to."

"Listen, I have to go to the cemetery. We're having a meal in the church hall when we return. You're welcome to stay."

"I don't think so," Damon shakes his head.

"Alright, but promise me you won't disappear without saying goodbye."

While they talk, Damon notices Ric coming out of the church with Jo on his arm, he freezes as soon as they exchange looks. He turns around and gets to the car without any acknowledgement. Damon sucks in a breath but other than that, he masks his feelings of rejection, but acutely feels the dagger poking his gut.

Elena knows him too well and isn't about to let him out of her sight.

Elijah notices too. "He's just in shock to see you here, hell we all are," he squeezes Damon's shoulder, forcing him to look at him.

"I shouldn't be here," he mutters, dropping his eyes. He slips his sunglasses on and starts to walk away.

Elena shares a look with Elijah, gives his hand a squeeze then hurries after Damon, determined not to let him escape unseen again.

* * *

Elena catches up with him at his car. She grabs his arm so he has to look at her. "You cannot disappear again without saying goodbye. Promise me?"

"Elena, it was a mistake coming here..."

She can see the anguish on his face. It's been there since the moment Jenna slipped from his hand. "No, it wasn't a mistake," she tries to reason with him.

"Ric doesn't want me anywhere near him, surely you could see that?"

"Damon, you should talk to him. A lot has happened, so much time has passed, his reaction isn't what it appeared to be, I promise you."

"Don't you think I know that? But that's the problem. I only make things worse for everybody. For Ric, for you, even Elijah was careful how to talk to me. Ric shouldn't feel the need to plan his approach. And even if all of you try to persuade me it wasn't my fault, I - still - know - the - truth. I live with it every day. I can't forget."

"Damon, you have to stop blaming yourself. You did everything you could, even putting your own life in jeopardy," she pauses to let her words sink in. "You're wrong about Ric and all of us." She tries to object.

"Elena, stop, please. I remember... I see her face everyday. Sometimes I see yours instead and it kills me," he turns away for a moment. "Look, I promise I won't leave without giving you a heads up." Leaning forward, he brushes his lips across her forehead, slides into the car and drives away.

Although disheartened, Elena sucks in a deep breath and walks back towards the church to help with the meal. He may think he knows what's best for her and all of them but he's wrong and she's determined to prove that to him.

* * *

Pulling up in front of his house, Elena stops the car and gets out. Ric is mowing the lawn after watching him for a few moments, she approaches him. As soon as he sees her, he turns off the riding mower's engine and jumps off, closing the distance between them.

"I suspected you'd show up," he shakes his head. "What the hell is he doing here, Elena?"

Elena can read his thoughts like an open book. Ric's wide open eyes reflect everything and see nothing. Behind them is something more intense than normal thought and his clenched two-day-stubble jaw isn't a good sign. Elena is hoping for perhaps not outright forgiveness, but the beginnings of a tentative reconciliation.

"Ric, first you need to chill," she leads him to the back of the house where they have a picnic table.

"How is he here? I never thought I'd see him again."

"Believe me I didn't either, Ric. I ran into him in Idaho on the way home from Jeremy's. It was sheer dumb luck."

"I can't believe it," he goes into the house and returns with a couple bottle of beer, taking a long pull from his.

"Where are Jo and the girls?"

"She took them to a movie, they won't be back for a few hours."

"I know it's hard Ric, but wherever she is, she wouldn't want us to still be stuck. We both lashed out and blamed Damon but you and I both know we were wrong. He was an easy target, it was his hand she slipped out of."

"She didn't want to go up that day, I talked her into it..." his eyes drop to his hands that are clutching the bottle.

_"Come on, Jenna. There is nothing that can make you feel so elevated and yet so insignificant as the mountains. Looking down at the clouds below, is incomparable," Ric urges her to share in his passion._

_"I don't know. I'm not real fond of heights," she grimaces at him, her eyes darting from his to Elena's. _

_"I'm on duty today. If anything comes up, I'll fly it up to get you."_

_"Okay, I'll go," she smiles and Ric kisses her so hard that she has to gasp for breath when he lets go._

"I urged her to go up that day too, Ric... you can't blame yourself either, it was a horrible tragic accident. Memories torture him, I don't know if we can fix it or not but we have to try."

"You still love him?"

"Yes, it may be too late for him and me but I can't let him spend the rest of his life haunted by the events of that day."

"I know you're right, Elena. I need to talk to him, make amends, tell him I'm sorry once everything settles," he looks at her and takes another swallow from his bottle.

"That's the thing though, Ric, we don't have time to let things settle. Damon has no plans to stay, he's going to leave again."

Dropping his forehead into his hand, he's quiet for a few moments. "So how do we make this right?"

"I don't know, Ric, I really don't but I could use another one of these," Elena empties her bottle and spins it around on the table top as if hoping it'll give her the answer.

* * *

Laying on his hotel room bed with a bottle at his bedside, Damon pours a little more in his glass and throws it back. Somehow he'll find Elena tomorrow to say goodbye but for tonight, he's holed up in his room, not wanting to run into anyone. The pizza box is laying open at the foot of the bed, a couple pieces left. He's tired, it's been a long day.

He spent the day in Rockies, stopping at Longs Peak to go through the visitor's center and just to chill. Longs Peak is a high and prominent mountain summit in the northern Front Range of the Rockies. The 14,259-foot fourteener is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness, 9.6 miles southwest by south of the Town of Estes Park, Colorado, United States. Longs Peak is the northmost "fourteener" in the Rocky Mountains and the highest point in Boulder County and Rocky Mountain National Park.

The mountain is pristine and white, even the dark green of the pines is mostly coated in the crystalline snow. At this elevation, snow isn't uncommon this time of year. He can't count how many times he's been there. This place used to be his sanctuary, these trees witnesses to troubles and life decisions. He came here today to clear up his mind, to find solace or maybe it's because he needed a distraction. The last time he'd been here... right after Jenna's funeral, he wanted to see the mountains once more before he took off for good. He was wondering how he'd feel coming here one more time, would it bring comfort or merely deepen the misery? He did a little hiking, a little rock climbing. Although Jenna is always with him, it felt good to remember the good things too.

Leaning his head into the pillow, he flicks through the channels, finally settling on some stupid old movie. He dozes off and when he wakes up, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are dancing slowly in one of their movies. Elena loves to watch them, he even bought her a set of DVD's of the 10 films they made together.

_They're camping near one of the lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park. As the sun goes down, their campfire becomes bright and vivid, as though someone shines a spotlight on it. The intensity and excitement of the flames is like they are dancing in the moonlight. The nearby lake has the reflection of a distant glow, like a bright sun on land. The colors are brilliant reds, oranges, and faint yellows._

_Small glimmers of light punctuate the darkness. The specks of light continue their merry flight as if the fireflies think it's quite amusing. Damon walks over to the water where Elena's standing, mesmerized by the sights and sounds surrounding them. Taking her into his arms, they start slow dancing under the moonlight as he sings to her_, "_And I remember how you loved me... Time was all we had until the day we said goodbye... I remember every moment of those endless summer nights..."_

Lurching upright, he looks around to get his bearings. Turning the clock, he sighs, it's only 2:30 in the morning. Picking up the remote, he turns off the TV and the bedside lamp then shifts onto his side, letting his eyes drop closed once more.

* * *

The next morning, Damon showers and throws his things in his travel bag. Since he promised Elena he'd say goodbye, he drives over to her place. He sits in the car staring at it for some time.

_"Do you like it?" Elena drags him into the house she put a bid on. The house looks beautiful but not in the old-world quaint kind of way he's usually drawn to. The windows take up entire walls with only polished steel beams to break them into yet more rectangles. The cedar beams of the external porch and the matching raised plant beds contain white, red, and blue blooms. Elena runs her hand over the kitchen wall tiles, each one of them a smooth horizontal glass bar about two pencils thick. Perhaps pulled away from the wall they would be translucent, perhaps they would cast the irrepressible sunlight into the seaside tones they were. The deepest of them is like driftwood, another is the same hue as the sand, the blue is like the ocean. _

_"If you love it, I love it," he barely has time to react before she jumps into his arms. Planting their lips together, he swings her around the room._

Hearing a rap on his window, he turns his head to see Elena staring at him. She steps back so he can open the door and follows her inside. "I promised you I'd say goodbye," he mentions once she pushes the door closed.

"Already?" her face falls.

"I shouldn't have come in the first place, Elena."

"Would you quit saying that?" she snaps, frustrated with him.

"I'm sorry," he moves to the door to leave.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm sorry too." As hard as it is, she can see that she isn't going to change his mind. "Do you want something to eat before you head out?"

"No, I'm just going to be on my way."

"You're not going to let me talk you out of it are you?"

"I can't stay here, Elena."_ Too many memories._

He puts his hand on the knob when Elena's pager starts alarming. "Hold on," she tells him and goes to return the call.

"Everything okay?" he asks when she comes back. "We have an emergency, a big one so unless you want to help, this is goodbye," she meets his eyes for a long moment, gives him a quick hug, whispers, "Lock the door when you leave," grabs her purse and walks out.

Damon watches helplessly as she drives away.

* * *

_The 'Stanley Hotel' in Estes Park, CO is the one made famous in the movie "The Shining." I've been there, in addition to being a hotel, they also sell 'Red Rum' tee shirts and other souvenirs. Estes Park is a quaint little tourist mecca on the outskirts of Rocky Mountain National Park. It's a gorgeous place which is why I chose it for this story's setting._

_Thank you all so much for the reviews, follows, favorites. This isn't a long story. It was meant to be 3 chapters total but obviously grew longer than that. _

_Thank you Eva._

_Chapter title: 'Two Divided by Love' by the Grass Roots. _

_There's so many wonderful DE writers still keeping them alive for us. **livherself** is fairly new and has 'Finding Our Way Back', **Justinia Korax**, 'The Things She Felt While He Was Gone' is brilliantly written. **Amazing Aisha** has grown by leaps and bounds, 'For Richer or Poor' and 'Way to a Woman's Heart'.** Linax24** has 'Home is Where You Are, **MardreEbridge **'A Mysterious Side of You',** Daddysadist **'Night and Day', 'Her Man' and more. **HisDelusionalLover**, her homage to Damon is something we can all relate to :) **SalvatoreBoys4Ever** is working on her **COHB **sequel. And although my dear friend **Florencia7** doesn't have anything new, her stories are timeless. _

_Have a terrific day, thank you, you're all amazing beyond words. Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans. We'll see you next time._


	6. Go The Distance

Damon stares out the open door as Elena drives away. It's been a very long time since he's participated in any kind of a rescue and yet he still feels the punch of adrenaline at the thought. "Fuck it," he locks up her house and then jumps into his car, shifts into reverse and careens out of the driveway, determined to get to rescue headquarters in Boulder before she takes off.

There's a feeling in his gut that says, "no," but another in his heart that says, "yes." And who is he if he doesn't fight to find the courage to do what is right? He's certain there isn't a person in a hundred mile radius that could seize upon the level of apprehension that's causing a maelstrom in his gut.

When he reaches the facility, he jumps out of his car and runs inside. Maybe this is how he can honor Mikael's legacy and all that the man taught him?

Damon immediately feels the tension in the room and looks at the faces, how the tightness of their jaws and shoulders are reflected in one another. His own belly is rigid and his usual smirk, his fail safe, is slow to appear.

"Damon? What are you doing here?" Elijah steps over to him, while securing his gear.

"Elena said you have something big, I thought maybe I would see what's up?"

"We'll need some medivac choppers too, from what we know from Kol," Elijah moves to stand in front of his friend.

"What's the story?"

"Kol is down, thinks his leg is broken. Another climber is hanging precipitously on a rope, still another is on a ledge."

Damon's turns away, looking over towards the window at the mountain range in the distance. Unsure of how it'll feel to be up there again, he struggles with his feelings, knowing what the right thing is but reluctant to take the leap.

"Elena's ready," Matt interrupts.

Elijah watches him for a few seconds before he turns away.

"Wait," he closes his eyes, trying to summon something deep inside of himself "I know I'm going to regret this but can I help?"

"Suit up, I'll worry about the brass later. Elena's waiting in the chopper," Elijah squeezes Damon's shoulder, "Thanks buddy, it's good to have you here."

"I won't lie and say that that I'm not nervous."

"We all are, Damon, now get ready, we need to get in the air."

He nods and runs into the locker rooms, slipping on a pair of climbing shoes and other necessities. As soon as he's ready, he runs outside to the helicopter. Elena's mouth drops before the corners raise into a smile when she sees him. Climbing in, he takes a seat. Moments later, Ric followed by Elijah jump in too. Ric looks at Damon for several seconds then nods and buckles up.

Elena shares a look with Elijah, then begins to raise the chopper, moments later they're airborne.

When the clouds shift, the earth below is the most astonishing sight of all, like a child sleeping under her puffed duvet of white. The helicopter blades slice through the thick air, heavy with clouds and the scent of the dense vegetation. The rhythmic sound reverberates out to the dawn.

At ﬁfteen hundred feet, Damon looks down, the granite peaks rise, nearly touching the clouds. Hitting turbulence, they bounce weightlessly and from the pit of his stomach, nausea flows through the rest of his body. His breathing is rapid and shallow, tightly constrained by the chest strap on his harness.

"The winds are tricky down low. The jump spot's in the shadow of the column there in that little meadow. Do you see it?" Elena asks, glancing over her shoulder at them.

Damon's head is out the door and looking forward at the drop site. Beyond the hills, thrusting up out of the earth, is a world of jagged black peaks, blue ice walls, and massive snowﬁelds—the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, a stronghold left over from the Ice Age, at once both forbidding and magniﬁcent.

Damon pulls his head in, shoots Elijah a quick glance. "Get ready!" The slap comes down hard on his shoulder, and he propels himself forward with all his strength. In the next instant he's out. The earth and the sky revolve in a blur of tilted horizons, greens, blues, and rushing noise. To complicate matters, lightning arcs down out of the top of the cloud bank. Distant thunder cracks loudly, trailing off in a rumble.

With Ric behind him, they walk to the cliff face and look over the edge. The man's head is lulling as he dangles lifelessly in mid air like a marionette without a puppeteer. Speaking into his headset, Damon tells Elena to get the medical choppers up there as soon as possible.

He pounds a piton into the rock and clips it to his climbing rope.

"How are we going to do this?" Ric asks, looking over the edge too, locating the woman on the ledge and seeing Kol further down laying in a clump of bushes.

"You go for the guy, I'll get the woman, then we both go for Kol. We'll need a litter to lift him up if his leg is broken."

"Okay, and Damon, I know we have to talk but I wouldn't want anyone else up here with me."

Damon's rendered speechless, the only thing he can do is nod.

"Let's do this," he adds, hooks onto his own rope and begins rappelling down the sheer cliff face. Damon methodically works his way down. The woman on the cliff screams at him then he has to pump his legs to swing himself over and onto that small ledge. Her arms are flailing and he can see she's in a panic, there are no coordinated movements, just clawing through the thin air. Damon freezes, his mind frantically working against him. He looks helplessly at the woman floundering, their eyes meet and he remembers.

_He pulls himself the rest of the way faster, almost bridging the gap. He meets Jenna's eyes who are staring at him desperately._

_"Please... oh no - please!" she shrieks, her eyes filled with stark terror. __And then she falls, her scream echoing off the canyon walls - fainter, fainter until it's nothing more than a memory._

Hearing her terror filled screams again, Damon has to shake his head when the woman morphs into Jenna right before his eyes. A muscle twitches involuntarily at the corner of his right eye, his mouth forms a rigid grimace. Nausea claws at his throat, and he tries to force down the bile.

"Damon," comes Elena's voice in his ear and he sucks in a deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth as he works to get himself back into the right headspace.

"I'm okay," he finally answers, reaching the woman on his third swing. After securing her to his line, the two of them climb to the summit. A medivac chopper is already standing by and as soon as he releases her, Elijah guides her over. Damon starts to rappel down again to help Ric who is having trouble reaching the swaying man. Damon grits his teeth and pushes himself out, free falling down the mountain until his line grows taut, stopping his descent. He reaches the man's safety harness and screams up at Elijah to pull them up after telling Ric to continue towards Kol. With a nod, Ric begins his downward trek.

When the man is safely in the chopper, it takes off. Damon tells Elena he'll radio her when they reach Kol, she can lower the litter. He gives her a thumb's up then goes back over the cliff and starts to climb down the granite spires towards the fallen man. The trek is slow going, and suddenly the rock falls away beneath his feet. Already the adrenaline is coursing through his body when a piton slips once and he crashes into the granite wall. An "oomph" escapes his mouth but he thinks he's okay and continues down until he reaches both Kol and Ric.

"Damon? What the hell are you doing here?" Kol grimaces, reaching out with his hand to shake Damon's.

"Good to see you too, buddy," Damon vigorously grips his and speaks into his radio. "Elena, send the litter down, over?"

Several minutes pass before they look up when the grass and trees start to sway from the chopper blades. As carefully as they can, they lift Kol into the basket and signal Elena to lift him up. Damon and Ric cover their eyes to shield them from the sun as they watch her lift him out of the canyon.

"Good work, Damon," Ric mentions, noticing how he's rubbing his ribs. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get out of here," he starts walking back to their lines and after clipping on, he begins his ascent with Ric following behind...

* * *

"As I live and breathe," the bartender greets Damon, shaking his hand. "It's been a long time."

"Good to see you too, Kai. Eight years."

"I can't believe it," he shakes his head.

"I came for Mikael's funeral," Damon nods when Kai slides a glass in front of him.

"It's good to see you despite the circumstances." He takes an order from a waitress and steps away when another man waves him to the other end of the bar.

"You too, Kai," Damon swirls the whiskey in his glass, listening to the chinking of the ice cubes, breathing in a fragrance that only years in an oak barrel can create. Already the worries of his day are beginning to fade, even before the first taste. Just watching its gentle vortex is hypnotizing enough. There's nothing he has to think about in this moment, there's only the aged single-malt direct from Scotland, it along with a good bourbon is one of his vices and he intends to savor it, not race to the bottom of the bottle like he had after leaving this city. When the liquid settles he brings it to his lips and lets the amber fluid sit in his mouth a while before swallowing. He closes his eyes, dwelling only on the flavor. Lost in his own world, he doesn't notice the man that slides onto the bar chair beside him. Feeling an arm lightly brush against him, he turns his head, surprised to see Ric.

"Ric?"

"I thought I might find you here," Ric nods at Kai who hands him a tumbler of whiskey.

"Needed to wind down a bit, I haven't participated in a rescue in a long time."

"You haven't lost anything if that helps?" he takes a sip.

"I don't know about that. For a moment, I saw _her _face and froze," Damon shares a look with him before looking back down at the soft amber liquid in his glass.

"It's like getting back on a horse."

"I suppose."

"Look, I came here for a reason. Can we get a booth?"

"Why not?" Damon snaps his fingers at Kai who laughs and hands him a bottle. Picking up his glass, he sees an open one and walks over, Ric following behind, drink in hand. Sliding into the seats opposite of each other, Damon tops off their glasses, wrapping his fingers around it.

"I'm going to be frank here, okay?" When Damon nods, he starts. "On_ that_ day, I sat there from the safety of the chopper and watched. And when it was over, I felt my heart cracking like glass, spreading its shards throughout my body. It felt as if my bright world had gone dark, like a big curtain being pulled across the sky. In the days and months even, afterwards, blackness engulfed my thoughts. I'm ashamed to admit it now but I considered suicide. I was going to ask her to marry me, I had the ring."

"No, Ric, I'm so sorry."

"No, Damon, I'm the one who's sorry," Ric pauses to throw back what's left in his glass. Picking up the bottle, he pours a little more in Damon's and his own. "As much as I'd like to, I can't undo the past and saying sorry after the wretched way I treated you would be like covering a bullet hole with a band-aid. I was wrong, very wrong. Even then realistically I knew you weren't to blame, that you could easily have died along with her but in my grief, madness if you will, you became a convenient target to focus my fire on. I'll never be able to take it back. I'm sorry."

"I never blamed you, Ric."

"You've always been a better man than me," he drops his eyes.

"That's a load of bullshit," Damon scoffs and finishes what's in his glass. "I need to go, I'm driving back to Idaho tomorrow."

"We still make a great team, if you consider coming back?"

"I don't know, Ric, I really don't know. I need to get going," Damon stands up, gives Ric's shoulder a squeeze, and then walks back to the bar. He hands the bartender a few bills to pay for their tab.

"It was good seeing you Kai," he shakes his hand.

"You too, if you ever pass this way again, make you sure to stop by."

"Absolutely," he nods and leaves the bar with much to think about...

* * *

After leaving Ric, Damon wanders around aimlessly. He can't deny that it felt exhilarating, freeing even to be on that mountain again but does he have it in him to return to it full time? The adrenaline, the thrill of hanging hundreds of feet over a granite cliff. There's nothing like it. Without realizing it, he finds himself in front of Elena's place. The light is still on and he debates with himself whether or not to knock on her door. Suddenly the porch light comes on and he knows she knows that someone is outside.

"I noticed you through the window," she points at it. "Do you want to come in?"

"Sure," he nods and comes in behind her.

"Have a seat, do you want a drink, some coffee, water?"

"Just a water is fine. I have to take off in a few hours," he sits down on her couch, thanking her when she hands him a bottle.

"So you're going back to Idaho." It's not a question, she suspected as much. Still, she can't help the defeated tone.

"Yes, my life is there now, Elena," he twists off the cap and raises it to his lips.

"Oh," she says softly. "I was kind of hoping you'd change your mind..."

"Elena?"

"It's okay, I understand, you have a home up there... You were great today," she changes the subject.

"Well, if you hadn't been there, it may not have been."

"You would've been fine, there's no doubt in my mind," she tilts her head meeting his gaze.

"I suppose," he finishes his water, gets up and starts to walk to the door.

"Are you going to stop at the hospital to say goodbye to Kol and Elijah?"

"Elena, I..." The words die on his lips when Elena's mouth comes down on his. The kiss is hard, punishing, her teeth cutting into his lips. He twists slightly but she deepens the kiss even further. Her tongue plunges into his mouth and he grows hard against her. He pulls her from the wall wrapping his arms around her. Her arms come around his neck, and she begins a new a battle, returning his kiss with passion. They both break away gasping for air. He hears her indrawn breath.

"I have to go, Elena. I'll stop by the office on my way out tomorrow," he stares at her a millisecond before his lips find hers again. Slowly he walks backwards till they reach the door. Reaching one hand behind his back, he twists open the knob and ducks through the door with a "goodnight Elena," before disappearing into the darkness.

Elena closes the door when his silhouette is gone. She'll give him some time to come to terms with everything but she's not going to lose him again, even if she has to drive back to Idaho and either drag him back here or throw caution to the wind and make the move herself.

* * *

"Well, it was good catching up with everyone," Damon says aloud as the group walks him outside to his car. Turning around, he shakes hands with Elijah. "Give my regards to Kol."

"Of course. Take care of yourself, Damon. You'll always have a job here..."

"Thanks Elijah. It means a lot," he then turns to Ric, embracing his friend in a short hug.

"I'll always regret what I did," he whispers in his ear, steps back, their eyes meeting in understanding. "Drive carefully."

"I'm a very cautious fellow," he chuckles, trying to lighten the heaviness of the moment. And then his eyes catch a glimpse of Elena. "If you'll excuse me," he says to the guys and walks over to her.

"Elena, I don't know what to say," he takes her hands in his and squeezes, not too hard and not too soft.

"Goodbye, Damon," her eyes begin to glisten, "I got something in my eye," she pulls one hand free and fists it. Pulling it away, Damon wipes the tears with his thumb, completely enraptured with her in the moment.

"It was great seeing you." She raises her eyes and just as he's about to join their mouths, Matt runs out of the building, telling them to suit up for a mission. She turns and starts to walk when he grabs her by the elbow. She spears her fingers through both sides of his head and then runs them over the stubble on his face. Her breath quickens as they lock eyes.

"Goodbye, Elena."

She feels her heart melt inside her chest. With a nod, she runs inside the building and moments later, he watches as the helicopter lifts and flies off in a westerly direction. He didn't even give her one last kiss.

_Don't think that me leaving means I love you less, know that it means I love you more. _

With his fingertips, Damon grazes his lips. His heart is still pounding in his chest when he slips behind the wheel to begin the long drive back to Coeur d'Alene.

* * *

A few weeks later:

Damon lays back on the hammock, feeling himself swing for a while before coming to a stop. He closes his eyes and draws in a lung full of the fresh forest air. In the distance there is traffic, but far away enough not to bother him. He thinks of his cell phone, sitting on the coffee table inside. Here ten minutes is a long time and so the day stretches out like a small eternity.

His mind drifts yet again to _her. _There is such sadness in leaving a place of strong love, a place where fond memories once grew as fast as the clover in the grass. He savors each memory so strongly that it will almost live once more. Can the flames of love be rekindled after being apart for so long? He only has to reach out with his mind and there she is, the whisper in the trees. Flipping out of the hammock, Damon picks a dandelion and brings it to his nose.

_Damon and Elena somehow manage to have a rare day off together. He has a picnic lunch packed in his saddle bags and he tugs the reins on his golden Palomino, a tuft of her silky hair covering her forehead. Pushing his cowboy hat back, Damon wipes the sweat from his brow. It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining and the sky is clear and yet there's a light breeze rustling up the tall grasses and the tree branches. The hills are covered with dandelions, their scent is like perfume in the air. _

_Glancing over at Elena, he smiles when he sees her adjusting her cowboy hat. She's riding a chestnut colored horse with a white splash across his forehead. When they reach the lake, Damon pulls back on the reins, slides off and together they secure the horses. _

_While Damon prepares their picnic, Elena picks herself a bouquet of the yellow flowers. He watches amused as she buries her nose in them and just as quickly waves her hand in front of it. _

_"Bug?" he laughs. _

_"Shut up," she sticks her tongue out at him. _

_"They are weeds, Elena." _

_"They're beautiful."_

He rubs the petals between his fingers watching his skin take on the sunny hue. And suddenly, inexplicably he feels the weight lifting from his shoulders and he can breathe freely now that the chains are no longer constricting his chest. Bringing the fingertips to his nose, he breathes in the dandelion scent. He didn't come home, no, instead he left behind the only thing in the world worth working for, worth fighting for, worth dying for, because it's the only thing that lasts..._ Love._

_Elena. _

* * *

After a few days cleaning up his property both inside and out, Damon is at McGill's helping out his buddy. Having just received a delivery from the distributor, Damon starts putting bottles away.

There's boxes, lots of brown boxes full of alcohol. When he finishes, he pours himself a glass of Enzo's best bourbon and sits down.

"I order that stuff just for you," Enzo remarks, arching an eyebrow.

"You sell a lot of it, I put several bottles away," Damon takes a long sip, licking his upper lip when he sets the glass down.

"Enzo, I need 3 on tap, a jack Coke and a whiskey sour," Hayley pops her bubblegum.

Damon chuckles and raises his eyes to the TV when a breaking news alert comes across.

_"This footage just came in from Boulder, Colorado. A small plane carrying state Senator Thornton crashed in Rocky Mountain National Park. On the screen is footage we've picked up from our local affiliate," newscaster Andie Starr reports. _

Damon looks at the scenes of the wreckage; twisted metal, the right wing is sheered off, the entire tail of the airplane is separated from the fuselage. Across an arc of intense blue sky, the camera zooms in on Elena as she helps a man inside and then runs back to where Elijah and Matt are loading another person onto a stretcher.

The scene is surreal in appearance as the camera focuses in on Elena as she raises her hand to protect her eyes. Just as they're carrying the victim towards the chopper, the footage ends. Damon picks up his glass, emptying it with one swallow. Just thinking about what he just saw, or rather _who _makes his fingers tingle right up his knuckles.

And then it hits him - a large grin spreads on his face, the kind that feels like the icing on cakes and splashing in the sea. He was always destined to return - being a part of that is in his blood. His mind replays the last few weeks, only now the pieces slide into place, he's been preparing to go home, back to her the whole time.

Damon's skin prickles from his head to his toes. It's as if there's a trail of gunpowder in his veins and _she_ has the only match. He's wearing the facial expression of a small child with an especially large Christmas present in his hands.

"What?" Enzo asks, eyeing his friend peculiarly.

"I'm going home."

* * *

_Thank you all for everything. The DE fandom is hands down the best. We're happy to be a small part of it. We're working on new all the time. The love for Damon and Elena burns deep..._

_Love you, Eva._

_Chapter title: 'Go The Distance' by Michael Bolton from Walt Disney's 'Hercules'. _

_Have a safe and wonderful day. Thank you all again and we'll see you next time. _


	7. Who Says You Can't Go Home

Elena steps out of the shower room, her hand twisting her hair into a ponytail to dry. "I don't know about you guys but I could use a drink, who's buying?"

"I am," Elijah responds. "We did a kick ass job up there today. They were still alive when we got to them, we gave them a fighting chance to live. That's what we do," they walk out of the building together with Matt following them.

"I'll meet you over there," Ric adds, walking towards his own vehicle.

"Don't forget about me," Kol yells, ambling after them on his crutches.

Elena laughs and waits for him, sliding in the backseat after him. Arriving at the Kai's place, they all walk in one after the next, taking a table near the back. Elijah walks up to the front, orders a couple pitches of beer and returns with a bowl full of peanuts.

Picking up a handful, Elena lays them on the table in front of her, starts cracking the shells and dropping them into her mouth.

_"You brought me peanuts?" she laughs at the basket with a big red ribbon on it. She's in the hospital having had an emergency appendectomy. _

_"I asked the nurse, she told me that you can have regular food now and well, you love peanuts." He sets the basket down on her over the bed stand. _

_"Oh Damon, you're such a romantic. Come here," she grabs a fistful of his tee shirt and pulls his lips to hers._

There's no denying that she misses Damon. The endless ache feels like icy fingers encasing her heart the way a gilded cage keeps a bird pent up. Hers longs to fly, to stretch its wings and soar, to see the vast possibilities of a life that is laid out to be embraced and lived with gusto. But without _him_, the only man she's really ever wanted forever with, it stays locked up in it's frozen prison. Right now she's able to remember the good times but the longing in her heart ebbs and flows like high tide crashing against a rocky shoreline.

Noticing she's somewhere else, Kol nudges her with his elbow, "Elena, everything okay?"

"Of course, we showed them how it's done," she smiles and clinks her glass with his. Taking a long swallow, she has to wipe the foam from her lips when she puts the mug down.

_Elena walks into Damon's kitchen just as he's putting cupcakes on a platter. "Hi." _

_She slips off her jacket and eyes them hungrily. "Ooh. You think we could sneak one before the party?"_

_"I think Kol might fry us in the sun." _

_"It's worth the risk." She takes a bite of one. "Mmm. Mmm."_

_"Come here," he wipes some frosting from her lips and licks it off his thumb. _

_"You know, we never talked about the fact that you kissed me."_

_"And you kissed me back?" He takes a bite of the cupcake too. _

_"Yeah. I know."_

_"That's the whole point of kissing so you don't have to talk about it."_

_"Right... Well, I just wanted you to know that I'm good with that," her eyes sparkle as they raise to meet his. _

_"Yeah?"_

_"Yeah. We-we're good. Really good."_

_"Was this the talk?" he smirks, waggling his brows playfully at her. _

_"Pretty much."_

_"Perfect," he leans in and kisses her fiercely. _

She snaps out of it when she notices a hand waving in front of her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ric asks, pulling her out of the booth and leading her outside to Kai's beer garden, taking a seat opposite each other on one of the picnic tables. "I miss him too, Elena. I wasted a lot of years blaming him...," he swallows a mouthful of his drink and meets her stare again. "I don't know anything, I haven't talked to him, I'm at a loss to explain it but I can't shake the feeling that he'll be back."

"We wrecked him, Ric. Why would he come back?"

"Because he's still crazy in love with you, that's why? I'm not the only one who saw it."

"Do you have a cigarette?"

"You smoke?"

She twists her hand, wordlessly telling him only on rare occasions. Pulling a pack out of his pocket, he hands it to her, she snatches one and lets him light it. Standing up, Elena leans back against the fence. A deep breath. Another. It's been three weeks- no, four since he left. Her fingers tremble around the cigarette, the smell and taste are just as bitter as she remembers. When the guilt comes again to haunt her, she takes a puff, blowing out smoke from between her lips. After all this time it still cuts just as deep when she lets it in.

"Elena?"

"I still love him too, Ric. Why do you think I broke my engagement with Aaron? He was a really great guy, but he wasn't_ him..."_

"I suspected as much. We could take a road trip to Idaho, talk to him? I'm sure Jo would be okay with it."

"That's something to think about... tell you the truth, I have considered the idea too," she drops what's left of the cigarette into the fire pit and sits back down.

"All you have to do is say the word..."

"Okay," she starts when the rest of their group joins them with more beer and their left behind glasses.

"We brought the party out here," Elijah sits down beside Elena and wraps an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a half hug.

"You guys are the best," she fills her glass and raises it to the others.

"Cheers."

* * *

Elena parks her car, picks up what's left of her salted caramel mocha and walks into the station. After putting her purse in her locker, she goes into dressing room to change into her work gear. Heading towards the conference room, she stops when she hears a clip-clopping behind her. Turning around, she laughs to see Kol hobbling down the hall. "You got a walking cast."

"Yes, darling I did," his eyes twinkle. "A couple more weeks and you won't be able to keep me down."

Linking her arm with his, they share a smile and she opens the door, letting him go in first. When she walks in, a gasp escapes her mouth. His back is turned to her but she'd know his very fine form anywhere. He slowly turns around, seeing the shock registering on her face before she can hide it. A small smile plays on his lips. Amazement doesn't quite cover it. It feels like someone just poured kerosene on her spark of wonderment. The smile she shows on the outside can't adequately reflect what she's feeling inside; like every neuron in her brain is trying to fire in all directions at once - the best kind of paralysis.

Damon watches the delicious moment where Elena's face washes blank with confusion, like the cogs in her brain aren't turning fast enough to take in the information from her beautiful eyes. Every muscle of her body freezes before a grin begins to creep onto her face. Her smile is soft, like petals caught in a breeze. It's just enough to allow a gleam of white from the teeth below and a slight dimple of her cheek.

"Hello Elena," a matching grin forms on his face. As they're about to sit down, their dispatcher Brady pokes his head in that a couple guys are lost in one of the canyons. When a call comes in, they move as one unit, already wearing the rescue gear they'll need. They board the helicopter and as soon as the door slams shut, Elena takes off, she loves the freedom flying gives her, she can go anywhere, see anything and land almost anywhere.

As soon as they reach the site, she hovers enough to let Ric and Damon jump out. Elena's heart fills watching them clash their fists together before disappearing over the edge of the cliff face. With Elijah riding shotgun, she pulls back on the throttle and flies to overlook the canyon, while Elijah guides Damon and Ric to the lost men.

The good vibrations calm her inner storm to a soothing onshore breeze. They take what jangles and make the softest of music. With feelings such as these, having Damon back is like every day is summer no matter the weather.

* * *

After pouring herself a nice glass of Prosecco, Elena starts to cut some vegetables to make herself some stir fry with shrimp. As soon as they're all finely julienned, she pulls out some mushrooms and begins to slice them when there's a knock on the door. Setting the knife down, she wipes her hands with a paper towel and opens the kitchen door.

Damon steps from the shadows, stealing her breath and the heat from her skin. Before she can draw in the air her body needs, she steps back and lets him come in.

"Damon, hi," she closes the door and turns to face him.

He brushes her cheek with a calloused finger, even the roughness brings more relief than her heart can hold. He is devouring her with his eyes as if he can't quite believe she's not part of an almost forgotten dream. His eyes lock on hers like a laser beam. "Can we talk?"

Elena nods and gestures to the kitchen table. Noticing the wine flute on the countertop, Damon grabs it and drinks a huge mouthful of it. He swallows and blows out a breath. "When you showed up that day, walking up the path to the house, my heart was beating so crazy fast that I thought it was going to explode. As I told you that night, I was both furious that you had found me and at the same time so damn happy to see you, it was like all my prayers were answered."

There's a hint of a smile on his lips but she isn't quite sure whether he's joking or not.

He's silent for a beat. "I wanted to see you, Elena. Not a single day went by that I didn't want to just show up at your door. I've hated every second of my life without you in it."

Elena's heart turns over in her chest. "Me too."

"I made the wrong decision. I never should have left," Damon admits, swallowing what's left of the wine.

They lock eyes and his breathing syncs with hers. "I'm not blameless, Damon. You can't put this all on yourself, I practically kicked you out the door," she pauses to refill the glass and takes a healthy swallow herself. "We're a pair aren't we?" she smiles sadly, adding, "we wasted a lot of years that we could have been together..."

"No more," he grabs the lapels of her shirt and pulls her to him. His mouth is on hers before she can take a breath. Her lips part and the touch of his tongue sends a jolt of heat spiraling through her body. Her knees wobble and Damon's arm slips inside her shirt and around her waist, holding her up against the hard length of his body. All her thoughts stop, her heart takes over from her head when they're this close.

He breaks the kiss so they can breathe. In the next second, he has her backed up to the door. He leans against her and his leg slides between hers. His mouth is on her neck just below her ear; his hands are working their way up.

She puts her hands on his chest and pushes him back gently. He detaches his lips from her throat and stares down at her, his eyes gleaming black with desire.

"Elena," he whispers and she feels her heart melt. He brushes his thumb across her cheek bone, love emanating from every pore.

She sears her lips to his, moves her hand at the nape of his neck and he lifts her onto his lap, having moved to one of the chairs. Her legs straddle over either side of him and his arms wrap around her waist, his hands firm on her back. His mouth opens to her probing tongue and he moans low in his throat as their tongues clash.

Without breaking the kiss, he's on his feet, his hands under the curve of her ass, and carrying her out of the kitchen. Elena wraps her legs around his waist as his mouth leaves hers and begins to blaze a trail down her cheek to the soft skin of her neck. Then he kneels, lowering her to the thick rug in front of the fireplace. Her hands slide up and flatten on the warm skin of his chest. She feels his muscles beneath and the hard beating of his heart.

"Damon," she breathes, her pulse pounding so hard she can barely hear her own voice.

Damon pushes her shirt up and out of the way, and his mouth is on her breast, burning her through the thin black satin of her bra. She gasps and he releases the front clasp, pushing it out of his way. She arches into the heat of his mouth as he works her nipple till it's hard and erect.

"Damon," she repeats, not able to form any other words. He lifts his head and his gaze burns into her. His eyes are the ocean, so full of life yet so uncertain. The blue-green hue carries his emotional currents, and before she can breathe, she's drowning in them.

He quickly removes her shirt and bra and as she lay there, bare to the waist, he looks down, devouring her with his eyes. He rocks back on his heels and pulls off her boots and socks then runs his hand back up the length of her legs. He deftly undoes the button at her waist and peels off her jeans and panties in one smooth stroke.

Damon pauses, eyeing the perfection that is Elena. He can see the desire, the longing reflect in her beautiful soulful eyes and almost chokes on the three words that are forming on his lips.

_No, he can't say them at this moment, he's overwhelmed but he can show her._

She uses his apparent hesitation and starts to reach for the button on his jeans but he's on his feet already, kicking off his boots and stripping off his pants - and then for a moment - he stands naked in the firelight. The flames reflecting off the smooth expanse of his skin, dancing on his chest and glittering in the black of his eyes. She takes in the muscular width of his shoulders, the classic V of his torso, the lean hips, and the long, powerful legs. And then what is between them.

"Wow," she whispers. Before the word is off her tongue he is on top of her. His mouth covers hers, his hands are everywhere, then he's inside her moving so hard and fast. It's even better than she remembers. Their connection is so carnal, all she can do is wrap her arms and legs around him and hold on.

When they're done, Elena lays limp and boneless beside him with not a thought in her head.

Damon wraps her in his arms. They are warm and hard, his body firm and muscular and she sighs as he kisses her just below her ear. "Are you okay?" he asks, his eyes locking on hers. They shine so impossibly blue that she would swear there is a sky trapped behind his pupils. They're blue like the sea; crystal clear - shimmering - crashing and churning. She can almost hear the waves falling against the shore and see the foam flying into the air.

"Mmmm," is all she can manage as a response. She can't keep her eyes open and thinks it would be okay is she stays there forever, on the rug next him.

Elena hears a light laugh and then Damon picks her up, throws her over his shoulder and carts her off to the bedroom. He pulls back the covers, gently tucks her between the sheets and slides in beside her, pulling her close. He nuzzles her neck and places soft kisses on her cheeks.

"Elena?" His voice is low and quiet.

"Hmm?"

"I know that we still have a lot to talk about, a lot to work through, but I need you to know that I love you, I've always loved you."

Her heart stills in her chest for a beat. "I love you back," she whispers and lightly kisses his lips. Elena drifts off to sleep with Damon's head tucked beneath her bicep, his cheek on her breast and an arm draped across her stomach.

* * *

Damon's pulls out all the stops, he sets an arrangement of fresh fruit and chocolates on the table beside the big bouquet of sunflowers. Taking a book of matches, he lights the candles and adjusts the Le Grand Courtage Blanc de Blancs Brut in the cooler. Walking into the kitchen, he pulls 2 crystal flutes out of the cupboard, tinging one with a snap of his fingers. "That's it," he chuckles, takes them to the dining room, and sets them on the table.

When he hears the familiar sound of her car engine, he pulls the curtain aside, a huge smile forming on his face when he sees her. She's wearing skinny jeans, a little white v neck tee shirt and the petite white and yellow diamond sunflower necklace he found in one of the shops in downtown Estes Park. However Damon's certain she'd look gorgeous in a burlap sack.

Meeting her at the door, he immediately takes her in his arms and kisses her hard enough to make her bones melt. When they part, her eyes are wide. "What's that for?"

"Today it's exactly 10 years since you walked into the station and changed my life."

Elena tips her head back and laughs out loud. He is the only one who has ever been able to make her laugh like this.

"And I've been insatiable ever since," Damon pulls her against his body. "I still can't get enough of you." He covers her mouth and kisses her until her legs threaten to turn to jelly.

They are both breathing hard when she pulls away. Damon tucks a loose curl of hair behind her ear. "There is one other thing I'd like for us to do – it's kind of important to me."

"You know I'd do anything for you, Damon."

"We've known each other a long time, Elena, so before we get married, I'd like you to meet my brother."

Her eyes light up and she wraps her arms around his waist. "I would love to meet your brother."

Damon counts in his head to see how long it will take her. 3 - 2 - 1...

She pulls out of his arms. Her eyes widen and her lips part adorably.

"Did you just ask me to marry you?" she squeals excitedly.

"I guess that depends on what your answer's going to be."

Elena practically jumps him, throws her arms around his neck and hugs tightly.

"Is that a yes?" he rasps, barely able to get any air through his vocal cords as she's squeezing him so damn hard.

"Yes. It's definitely a yes," she confirms and with a mischievous glint in her eyes drags him over to the couch. She gives him a little shove to push him down and takes her place on his lap, her hand moving enticingly close to his fly. "But first, I'd like to have a nice hot make out session with my future husband."

"As you wish," he waggles his brows at her, threads his fingers through her hair and crashes his lips to hers.

_The End. _

* * *

_Thank you all for coming on another DE journey with us. You're all the best, bar none._

_Watch for "Frostbitten" to post next: Small town teacher Elena Gilbert is going back to the city for her wedding. After a blizzard strikes, she is forced to travel with a stranger who leaves her questioning her future plans. _

_I've seen some talk about post series finale stories. We did post one, "Founder's Day" a couple years ago. I have a handful of canon stories but we prefer the au realm, giving DE human frailties, emotions, missteps, triumphs et al. _

_Chapter title: 'Who Says You Can't Go Home' by Bon Jovi with Jennifer Nettles._

_Eos Blaze 0402 started a new DE story: Taozi Xiaotou (The peach thief). She likes, excels at fantasy, the god and goddesses realm. _

_Have a wonderful day and thank you all again. _


End file.
